


The Sacrifice Play

by LittleSixx



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Author Is Sleep Deprived, Based on a Tumblr Post, Canon Compliant, Canon Temporary Character Death, Canonical Character Death, Captain America: The First Avenger, Gen, M/M, POV Steve Rogers, POV Tony Stark, Parallels, Short, Short One Shot, Steve Rogers Feels, Steve Rogers-centric, Temporary Character Death, The Author Regrets Everything, The Avengers (2012) Compliant, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark-centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-03
Updated: 2016-07-03
Packaged: 2018-07-19 19:32:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7374571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleSixx/pseuds/LittleSixx
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A description of the last moments of Steve Rogers. (In the 1940s.) "This is my choice."</p>
<p>*Alternatively*</p>
<p>A description of Tony Stark's sacrifice play in The Avengers. "I know just where to put it."</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Sacrifice Play

**Author's Note:**

> Super short, quick read!! I challenged myself to quickwrite a story that could be from two points of view about two separate scenarios. You can (hopefully) choose to read this text as either the internal narrative of Steve Rogers as he's taking the plane into the ice in CA:TFA or the internal narrative of Tony Stark as he's taking the nuke into space in The Avengers. 
> 
> I labeled it as a relationship because it's a parallel. The two characters obviously have no interaction with each other at these points in time.

When he was little his mother told him, “Love is fiery and impatient, and it will use you. It is hard and demanding, but I promise it’s the best thing you will ever feel.” The decision is short--weighing the options before realizing they don’t matter. If he does not do this, tens of thousands of people will die. He remembers everyone he’s lost. He can see the faces of everyone he loves and decides to make the sacrifice in love, because that’s what it demands. 

There is no peace in that decision. Only one person can bring him solace; he thinks of her and that signature variant of red. The voice on the line is dispassionate and male, but he wants the last words he hears to be hers. At death’s door, he’d sell his soul to hear her one last time. 

They sky is restless now, as he gets further and further away, hurtling toward what should be the end. For a moment it was beautiful. The only place to make a decision unconstrained by government or fear. The clouds require you to make a decision out of goodness and heart.

 

_ This is my choice. _

 

He’d always been told he had heart; it was rarely a compliment and frequently followed by veiled insults and “If you’d just apply yourself ...” They were all wrong. Instead of a heart, he has a fire with uncontrollable flames. A heat that threatens to consume his soul and use his life as kindle until he burns out.

As he departs the bright blue sky for a dark void, there’s some caustic irony that instead of his fire going out spark by irreplaceable spark, his death is cold and all-consuming. Whoever said life in its entirety flashes before your eyes as you die, they lied. Instead, all he felt was disappointment. It was a loop of every time anyone told him, “You will never live up to the greatness in your name.” He prayed that what he was about to do would put his legacy on the honourable side of “a good man.”

The decision is made and now he’s just falling. The blowback from impact labels the mission a success. It is colder now, frost nips at his fingertips. In his last conscious thought, he wonders who will remember him. He closes his eyes and his lungs are straining against his ribs, reaching for air where there is none. No, there is no peace, this is pain until he can’t feel anything anymore. This weapon was sent in fear, and he is the shield. 

Not a soldier, not a saviour, just a good man.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Comments and criticism are always appreciated!


End file.
